Help Me Out With Info On Roll Centres Before I Go Mad!

[M3Evo 0]

Can someone in the know about suspension systems clear something up for me?

 

If you have a trailing arm suspension system, as on the 205, the roll centre is at ground level (I think)

 

If you have a swing arm suspension system, such as my ol' GT6 once had, the roll centre is at the level of the pivots.

 

So where is the roll centre if you've got a semi trailing arm syspension system like Sierras and various 80's and 90's Beemers and the like have.

 

Presumably it's some function of the angle of the pivot axis or something so the more of an angle the pivot's at relative to the axle, the higher the roll centre is?

 

Just out of interest really

 

Cheers!

Alex

Edited December 18, 2006 by M3Evo

[smckeown 1]

i have an excellent book here that covers such items. It cant be ground level as the car would not pivot. I'll scan in the pages for you later, some good pics etc

[M3Evo 0]

Cool, be very interested to see!

 

When you say it can't be at ground level, is that just for the semi-trailing setup?

 

I'm pretty sure the roll centre with trailing arms is at ground level (or at least in line with the contact points of both wheels)

[Rob Thomson 6]

Yep - 99.9999% sure that roll centre with trailing arms is at GL.

[smckeown 1]

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